Was this a good day? Could've been on RASP but I wasn't a hundred percent sure, anyway the Bens, Dry and Friedland, seemed up for it so off to the Milk massif we went. Being very unambitious I assumed we might be down by Cirencester under a blue sky so left my van en route on the A419. What a miscalculation that turned out to be…

Firstly which hill? Forecast was for strong wind and White Horse is always my preference then but a glider was already airborne over Goldenball. A discussion kicked off but Ben F just started walking towards GB and we followed suit- eventually a load more pilots taking the same path.

I am always cautious of GB because of the gradient, the rules and the general propensity to be a bit more trouble than White Horse but actually the wind was manageable and there were good lulls. Individuals and gaggles left the hill after a lot of work in small untidy climbs but I also think gliders always tend to look low leaving GB. We had set a goal at Stourport and the two Bens left before me. I hung back a while as the sky above was still blue- but downwind Cu clouds were forming and the windward edge of these clouds was creeping towards us. Could the day be better than expected?

I took off late in the day after watching some ups and downs, but got away in a ropey little climb which took a lot of work, and then joined with a gaggle ahead of me. We left the hill at just over 2000' and the magic climb didn't happen until Avebury when we took it to 4000' and had the chance to think about strategy and take a look around.

We worked together on and off until the M4 where there are plenty of industrial/suburban sources and just after Purton got a lovely climb to 4700' over the Cotswold water park. I had seen Paul Jiggins low (I think) near Swindon but was gratified when I clocked him again nearly 100km later- nice one. Then I realised my Flyskyhy wasn't even on yet. No matter, press the green button and hope the XCmaxx backup tracklog can knit it together. Be positive and press on.

Gliders were dotted around and we seemed to group in pairs for a bit then split off. Cerney was Notam'd for a parachute drop and the cylinder was time limited but I guessed I could make it from the water park thermal, made it across and then drifted more to the NNE. Some gliders were to my west so must have been trying to circuit the cylinder. Well now below me was my van, sorry no landing field magnet today!

I headed towards the Cotswold Edge at Cleeve, got low over Chedworth but some nice mown fields gave me 4000' and breathing space again. Then I scooched low towards Winchcombe- the Cotswold edge thermals worked a bit but I really thought descending air going into the vale would end it all. I limped low over Winchcombe and got right down to 650' over Toddington. As I passed the B4077 I saw gulls circling over a farm shed- well that was a gnarly climb. Anyone on the ground would've seen a glider fighting for ages in tiny bits of turbulent lift but gradually it matured into a good climb and then went nuclear. By Dumbleton I was at 5000' and crabbing west to give myself a good margin around Birmingham airspace. By now the sky was looking fantastic and even if clouds weren't working in the 'normal' way, there was always lift somewhere under the things.

I passed East of Worcester but was concerned about the airspace cylinders downwind- meteo seemed to be now SW from the wind turbines. I gave up on Stourport, it was to my west so I kept on past Kidderminster until a combination of tiredness and Bobbington airspace boxed me in. Low down it was visibly strong and rough- I landed in a windward sloping field full of linseed, packed up in amongst the mess and headed for a footpath.

The retrieve is always another story- I thumbed a lift from a lovely couple out walking, got to Kidderminster and then two trains got me to Stroud at 9pm. Ben had already got my van and off we went to the Albert for a pint and a bit of introspection. That day Ben F made 143km and Ben Dry got his 200. But I was still over the moon- two things bothered of course- could I have made more of the day and could my tracklog be solved. Well once again thanks John Stevenson. It was a great day.